It’s hard to deny that Newcastle United have a fantastic fan base, so many neutrals would gladly see them catch some kind of break.
For years they’ve had to put up with the club aiming for a 17th place finish and going out early in the cups, they sell their best players while joy and excitement are in short supply.
The only thing that would make this worse would be for someone to come in and promise them the world by taking over the club, only for the hope to vanish at the last moment.
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It appears that the fans may have to accept that, with The Mirror reporting that Newcastle are now planning for another season with Mike Ashley and Steve Bruce at the helm.
You have to give Bruce some credit for the job he’s done this season, they’ve survived easily and there have been some impressive results along the way.
The problem is that they won’t achieve anything more than survival under the current regime, and the report says that the £300m Saudi takeover bid has now hit a permanent stall.
It appears that the latest setback comes amid political pressure and fears that the new owners won’t pass Premier League tests, and there’s no sign of that changing.
It’s the worst possible news for the fans, but there’s still plenty of time for yet another twist.